Thankful Thursday: In Christ, A New Creation

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

New life springs forth from shallow graves.Winter reconciled with spring and death overcome by life resurrected. The sight of newness and vibrant hues quickens my feet and the camera's eye captures my hope:

~ the old is gone, the new has come ~

No longer must I accept the grave or the old life for upon the cross, on my behalf He bore my sin with one final breath He shouted, "It. Is. Finished!"

His life laid down so we might live.

Jesus fought. The battle won. Death could not hold him in the grave. Transformed, renewed he rose on the third day. Our hope:

~ the old is gone, the new has come ~

In Christ we are a new creation proclaiming hope to all the nations:

"His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." Daniel 7:14b

Christmas Moments: Finding God’s Truth in Simple Ornaments

"Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near."

Isaiah 55:6

Our tree is up and as I sit and admire it, I can’t help but reflect on the ornaments, so many having a sentimental value. Isn’t this one of the treasures of a tree: sequined snowflakes our children made, souvenirs from trips with friends, school children’s gifts to their teacher (I have loads of these!), and others we’ve gathered through the years. It would seem impossible to choose a favorite. 

Yet each year I anticipate where I will hang two such favorites. One is the baby Jesus, fashioned as a tiny soft sculpture, nestled in a basket. My cousin made this and the sweetness of the baby, finger in its mouth, makes me smile whenever I look at it. To me it is the essence of Christmas and I am always careful where to hang it. It gets an up-front center stage placement on the tree. As such it reminds me where Jesus should be in my heart, especially as the other distractions of the season swirl around me.

The second ornament is a small sign. It reads: “Wise Men Still Seek Him.” This was a gift from a colleague. It too denotes the central message of Christmas and this one I place so visitors to my home might notice it quickly. I consider it a soft nudging to challenge us all to consider that truth.

Too often in today’s world many people would have you believe God has become irrelevant. They seek wisdom in the form of the latest technological gadgetry. They shake their heads at politicians, somehow surprised how they fail. They rush around looking for something, too often unaware of what that something is. Indeed, we all fall prey to this temptation, this forgetting of who is the center and what it all means.

Yet nestled in the branches of my Christmas tree I believe are the answers: Jesus

is the something, and the words “Wise Men Still Seek Him” is the admonition. The good news is He’s just waiting for us to find Him. He isn’t hiding. Instead, He calls us to Himself. And every Christmas He comes again to see if we have indeed grown at least that much wiser.

About the Author:

Teresa M. Norris is a retired teacher and author of the book, Almost Home – How I Lost My Mother Without Losing My Mind: A Faith Journey. Further holiday reflections, including one on her Christmas tree’s star, can be found at her website:  http://teresamnorris.com/blog.html.